Climbers with a Cause: Fatima Batook and #Kilimanjaro4Mawaddah

By Mona Shahab

Fatima Batook, the Founder of TIMA® Sport Apparel and Studio55 shares with us her unforgettable experience of achieving a dream for a great cause

What do you do when you're not climbing mountains?

I would like to think that I a play a role in influencing Saudi females lives to become better with fitness, I am the brand owner of TIMA® the first every Arab and Saudi brand for sport apparel and I am a fitness instructor in my own fitness facility in Alkhobar Studio55 with Spinning at its core and small group training.

What made you decide to join this climb?

It was always something I wanted to do but wasn’t at the place or time to do it so when this opportunity unfolded itself to me, I couldn’t turn it down! I had the opportunity to achieve a dream for a great cause, which is dear to my heart, and share it with empowering and inspirational women from my homeland!

Are you a beginner or advanced climber?

I am considered a beginner; I had done many hikes previously but never this high!

What was the experience like for you? What's the most memorable part of the climb? And likewise, what was the hardest?

The overall experience is an unforgettable one for sure! Every single day, a moment from those 7 days comes to mind, it helps me get through tough moments and always gives me a smile or even a laugh! The most memorable moment was the morning after Summit day; everyone had a totally personal and different experience than the other. Everyone had their share of tough “give up” moments and there were those moments where we lifted each other up! Sharing that with determined women was so beautiful, the sweat & tears was all worth it at the summit with those invisible women!

The hardest moments for me personally were at the summit night where I had to endure 6 hours of very cold weather “I don’t do well with cold weather” starting at midnight to reach to the top of the mountain! I had doubts, I had regrets, I had so many negative thoughts crossing my mind but I kept pushing them away and took one foot in front of the other, then the happiest moment and most beautiful thing I had ever seen happened; the sun started to come out and there was my hope to keep going and never ever give up.

Are there any lessons you learned on the mountain?

One lesson I have learned is that the final destination doesn’t matter… it really doesn’t! but the whole experience coming out of it, from the beginning to the days after is really what changes you. it doesn’t matter if you were first or fast or physically the strongest but what matters is your mental strength and determination and with whom you share hardship, how you deal with it and how it changes forever.

What advice would you give to people who are not super fit or haven't been active but would like to be?

Start training physically with endurance workouts on a spinning bike or actual hikes and outdoor jogs if possible. But most importantly, train mentally with repetitive belief in yourself every single day and share it with those who will be climbing with you because you create a support system that is unbreakable even when the breakdown moment comes.

The Empowerment Hub’s mission is to revolutionize what women feed their minds and bodies. They aim to strengthen women’s health and fitness awareness in the Kingdom by creating active, social, and educational events. All proceeds goes to different non-profit organizations and charities in the Saudi…Fitness4aCause!

Mawaddah Women Charity based in Saudi Arabia, work closely with children of divorcees, and have taken it upon them to create a safety haven for children of divorcees. Not too long ago, visiting hours took place at police stations. Today, Mawaddah is the legal hub for visits. “Beit Mawaddah” aka “Mawaddah Home” is a safety haven where visiting hours take place; drop offs, pick-ups and more. It’s every child’s right to feel safe with their parent/caregiver, and it’s every parent’s right to know that their child is safe during their absence.